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Les Sables-d'Olonne
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The area around
LES SABLES-D'OLONNE
and northwards has been heavily developed with Costa-style apartment blocks. If you're passing through, though, it's worth having a look at the surprisingly good modern art section in the
Musee de l'Abbaye Ste-Croix
on rue Verdun (mid-June to mid-Sept Tues-Sun 10am-noon & 2-6.30pm; rest of year guided visits by arrangement only; tel 02.51.32.01.16; 30F/€4.57, free Sun) and a collection of classic autos at the
Musee d'Automobile
, 8km southeast of town on the road to Talmont (mid-March to June & Sept daily 9.30am-noon & 2-6pm; July & Aug daily 9.30am-7pm; rest of year Sat & Sun only 9.30am-noon & 2-6pm; 36F/€5.49). The main reason to stay, though, is the town's vast curve of clean, beautiful
beach
, which lures hordes in the summer.
Hotels
get booked up well in advance for July and August, but a couple worth trying are
Le Merle Blanc
, near the beach at 59 av Aristide-Briand (tel 02.51.32.00.35; 160-220F/€24-34), and
Hotel les Olonnes
, 25 rue de la Patrie (tel 02.51.32.04.12, fax 02.51.23.72.63; 160-220F/€24-34), with a restaurant (closed Sun evening & Mon). Budget options include a beachside
HI hostel
, 3km from the centre at 92 rue du Semaphore (tel 02.51.95.76.21, fax 02.40.20.08.94; closed Oct-March), a bus line #2 ride away in the direction of "Cote Sauvage" (stop "Armandeche"); a municipal
campsite
(tel 02.51.95.10.42, fax 02.51.33.94.04; closed Dec-March) on rue des Roses, 400m from the beach; and several more campsites in the Pironniere district, 3km south of town on the D949. For more accommodation options, ask at the
tourist office
on 1 promenade Joffre (June & Sept Mon-Sat 9am-12.15pm & 2-6.30pm, Sun 10am-12.30pm; July & Aug daily 9am-7pm; tel 02.51.96.85.85, fax 02.51.96.85.71,
www.ot.lessablesdolonne.fr
). Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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France,
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